


Lycan

by demonator1d



Category: No Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 06:13:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7088578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonator1d/pseuds/demonator1d





	1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

After I finished unpacking the last of my belongings, I stacked up the cardboard boxes and left them outside my bedroom door. Wiping away the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand, I walked towards the window and opened it. It was way too warm in here. Sitting down on the window ledge, I closed my eyes and leaned back, breathing in the saltwater air.

Nehalem isn't so bad, but I hardly remember it. It's been nine years since I've been here, and its brought back many memories, both good and bad. Tomorrow I start school, and I can't help but feel disappointed. I was hoping that I could have a few more days off, but my parents insisted that it wasn't necessary.

This place is different, not like where we previously lived. I had to admit, I was pretty excited that we lived next to a beach, but I still preferred to live back in New York.

On the plus side, the coast was nice--although it wasn't for swimming. It was now deserted and very few houses were near including ours. Grandma warned us to never swim there when we were younger, and you didn't have to look twice to understand why.

Turning my head to look out the window, my eyes traveled all the way down the Ainsley Coast. It was rocky, and in the distance, you could see the faint outline of a beach cave. It was the very same one my brother and I played in when we were younger.

"Scar! Derek! Dinners ready."

I jumped in my seat, clutching my chest as my heat beat accelerated. Looking away from the cave, I sat up and closed the window. Pulling together the dark blue curtains, I quickly left the room. Stopping outside my brothers bedroom, I opened the door and sighed once I saw him buried underneath his comforter.

"Derek, wake up." He let out a grunt in response.

Grabbing the nearest thing I could find, I threw it towards his head. Sadly, I missed.

"Hey, that was my book!" Derek shouted, throwing the comforter off of him and standing up. He leaned over and picked up the book, inspecting it for any damage.

I rolled my eyes. "Want me to take it to the book doctor?"

Muttering under his breath, he set the book down on his bedside table and stomped out of the room. Snickering, I followed after him.

"Hey, want to see a movie tonight?" I asked.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Do I get to choose the movie?"

I groaned. "Fine. But it better not be The Notebook."

"Damn it."

Once we entered the kitchen, I quickly sat down in my seat. I was starving.

"Did you unpack yet, Scar?" My mom asked, and I groaned. Shooting me one of her glares, I sheepishly looked down at my plate.

"Oh, leave her alone. Derek hasn't even unpacked his underwear, yet you haven't said anything to him." Dad grinned, winking at me. Moms eyes widened as she focused on a now pale Derek.

"You haven't unpacked either?" She growled, as dad and I tried not to laugh.

"I-I," Mom held up her hand, silencing him. "Save it. Besides, as punishment, you both have to share Scar's room."

"What?" Derek and I shouted, looking at one another in shock.

Dad chuckled. "Calm down. We can't sleep in the den forever, you know."

I sighed, remembering that mom and dad were staying in the den since our grandparents house had only three bedrooms. Well, it can't be that bad sharing a room with Derek.

"Fine," Derek muttered, stabbing at his salad. I just rolled my eyes and smiled at my parents, letting them know I was okay with it. Not like we had a choice anyway.

When grandma and grandpa came to the table, we began eating.

"How do you like it here so far?" Grandma asked us, taking a sip from her lemonade.

"It's the same, not much has changed."

"It's okay." Derek said, his mouth full of food. Mom smacked him on the head, and he glared at her.

"Well, just remember to not go swimming in--"

I cut her off, laughing. "We know grandma, you told us this morning too, remember?"

She smiled sadly, setting down her glass. "I know, honey. Just be careful you two, okay?" We nodded, and finished eating. Standing up, I collected the plates and helped mom wash them. As I was wiping the last of them dry, mom took the plate and cloth from me and set them down. Looking at her confused, she took my hand in hers and leaned against the counter.

"I know the move has been tough, but just know that I'm proud of you guys for being strong." She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with the end of her sleeve. I rolled my eyes and hugged her.

"You are way too emotional," I joked, and she pulled away, glaring playfully at me.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go find your brother and fix up the room. I'll finish the rest of the dishes." Shooing me away, I left the kitchen and walked into the living room, where everybody was sitting.

Walking up to the couch, I poked Derek. "Let's go. Mom says we have to fix the room."

"Do we have to? It's almost 10." He whined.

"Race you upstairs!"

Quickly turning around, I ran across the living room and up the stairs, purposely going slow just so he could beat me. It was the only way he would budge, and other than that, he was a sore loser.

"Ha! I win!" Ignoring his victory dance, I pushed past him and opened the bedroom door, a blast of air suddenly hitting me. Furrowing my eyebrows, I reached out and turned on the light.

The window was wide open.

Derek shivered. "Dang, it's freezing in here."

I didn't respond. Instead, I walked towards the window and stood there, pondering. I could've sworn I closed it...

Shaking my head, I closed the window and made sure to lock it this time.

***

After two hours, I collapsed on my bed and stared at the ceiling. We managed to divide the room, with Derek all the way on the other side. He was pretty pissed that he had to get the pull-out sofa whereas I got the bed, but I promised him that he could take the bed on the weekends.

"Still want to watch a movie?" Derek asked, and I nodded. It was late, but besides, it was our first day of school tomorrow. I doubt they'll give us detention for being late.

"Do you have season one of Supernatural?" I asked, looking through my collection of movies and TV series that I had stacked onto my shelf.

"Uh, I think so," Derek replied, looking through his own collection. "By the way, do you think they're going to bring Lucifer back?"

"I hope so."

"Rowena's hot."

My eyes widened. "What the heck?"

"Wait, that came out wrong!"

I nodded my head and smirked at him. "Sure it did." He groaned and hastily looked for the CD.

Once he found it, he handed it over and I put it in my laptop. "I'll go get the popcorn." He mumbled, and quickly left the room.

After a while, I looked at the time and saw that twenty minutes had already passed. Sighing, I got up and went downstairs, only to find him nowhere in sight. Noticing the front door open, I furrowed my eyebrows and walked towards it. but still no sign of him.

Gasping, I grab Derek's shoulder and pull him back. Looking up at me in shock, he shines a flashligh in my face and relaxes when he realizes that it's me.

"Oh, hey Scar," He grinned, and went back to petting the wolf.

"Derek, get away from that thing!" I yell, and froze in my spot when the wolf turned and looked at me.

It wasn't unusual to see wolves in this town, since most of the places like Santa Carla Beach are either deserted or a few people live there. Over the years they have seen many wolves wandering around town, mostly around our part of town, and found out that they have been inhabiting Wolf Beach.

Wolf Beach is located at the end of town, and it is a rocky shore with many beach caves and caverns. It begins at the end of Santa Carla Beach, so basically were right next to it. It is deserted, and no one lives there or even goes there.

During our summers here we have seen them roaming around, but they don't bother anyone unless they bother them and keep far away from people. After begging grandpa to drive us past Wolf Beach, we saw them. At first, we were confused on how they survived, but grandpa said there was a nature preserve in town and they fed on the animals there.

But he didn't mention that they have also attacked people.

So when it's eyes connected with mine, I had suddenly remembered the article I had read from a newspaper years ago:

"Raine Freeland was eighteen years old when she was attacked by a wolf supposedly from Verona Beach. They found her ripped to pieces and parts of her body devoured near Locke Point, the nature preserve. Witnesses claim that Freeland and few of her friends that night were bothering the wolf by throwing it rocks and sticks they found nearby. The friends, M. Lawrence and R. Baxton, claim that the wolf began growling and they fled the scene, but noticed that Freeland wasn't running beside them. They ran for help, and a few hours later the search for Freeland was over. The Freeland family, outraged and in grief, demand that they capture the wolves at Verona Beach, but it is unknown of what the fate of the wolves will be after the Wildlife Services decide on the matter."

I shivered, and it looked away, focusing on Derek and wagging its tail. Derek scratched it's neck, and it's tongue lolled out.

"Derek, it's dangerous..." I trailed off.

He shrugged. "It hasn't attacked me yet, and I'm not bothering it in any way for it to attack me."

"But still, let's just go inside." I begged.

"Fine." He patted it's head one last time and stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes. The wolf barked, and backed away slowly before turning around and running away. When it was out if sight, I grabbed Derek's arm and practically dragged him inside, cursing him along the way.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you fucking crazy?" I shouted, shutting the bedroom door behind us.

He tried to say something, but I continued on.

"That thing could have killed you!"

"Scar, just listen! Besides, you're going to wake everyone up." I sighed, knowing he was right.

"Look, it didn't harm me. It isn't predatory, so unless you provoke it then it won't attack you." He explained, running a hand through his hair. I frowned, knowing that he only did that when he was nervous.

"I'm sorry, Derek. I just...when I saw you with the wolf.." I trailed off. He walked over and hugged me, and I hugged him back. We stood there for a couple of minutes until I realized how late it was.

"Come on, we have school tomorrow." I pulled back, ruffling his hair. He rolled his eyes and went to his bed, collapsing onto it. I turned off the lights and laid down, closing my eyes.

_

I woke up to the sound of an alarm, and groaned.

Sitting up, I grabbed my phone and turned it off. "Derek! Get the hell up." I shouted, throwing my pillow across the room and onto his chest. He grumbled and turned around, his back facing me.

"You know, it's been a long time since I dropped some cold water on you.." I trailed off, grinning at the idea. One..two...three.

"I'm up!" He shouted, jumping out of the bed and landing on the floor. "Oh, fuck." He groaned, slowly getting up.

I chuckled, and got out of bed too. As I headed towards the door, I saw him doing the same. We stopped and stared at each other, and I quickly made a run or for it before he beat me to the door. I grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back, making it to bathroom, but before I could open the door he tripped me.

"Hell no!" I yelled and grabbed his foot, but he shook it off and made his way into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

"Real mature, Derek!" I huffed and walked away, crossing my arms across my chest.

"I swear to god, if you guys continue that morning ritual of yours I will put you both up for adoption." My mom warned as she passed by me with a mug of coffee in her hands.

"Sure you will," Dad laughed, taking the mug from her hands and earning himself a glare.

"Oh, shut up." She smirked, and pushed him back into the bedroom. Turning to face me, I gulped dramatically. She rolled her eyes, and reached into her bag and gave me some papers. Looking them over as she explained what they are, I nodded.

"Be careful and don't get into any trouble." Mom warned and kissed my forehead, rushing downstairs. "Yeah, whatever!" I called out, and she slammed the front door in response.

I banged on the bathroom door, shouting for Derek to hurry up. Sighing, I leaned against the wall in the hallway, thinking of what to wear.

_

"Ready?" I asked, straightening the last strand of my wavy hair. I glanced at the mirror, checking if I was okay, and set the straightener down. Grabbing my phone off the dresser, I slid my bag over my shoulder and dug out the car keys.

Derek had already finished styling his hair into some sort of front spike, and was playing some random game on his phone. "Yeah," He stood up, tucking the phone in his pocket.

We quietly walk downstairs, and saw that grandma had made poptarts. Kissing her goodbye and grabbing a poptart on our way out, I unlocked the car and we got in.

I was nervous already, but I tried not to think about it. It's just high school, I reminded myself.

"You okay?" I asked Derek, who was being oddly quiet. He nodded, staring out the window. Obviously, he's nervous. Smiling a little, I continued driving through the empty streets. It was twenty minutes from our house to Lincoln High School, and I wonder if I still remember the way. Mom had told me the directions yesterday, but I couldn't remember them now. "Shit," I muttered under my breath, tapping the steering wheel while I waited at the red light.

Do I go straight, or make a right? Just as the light turned green, I headed straight until Derek told me to go right.

"How did you know?" I ask, making the right.

"Unlike you, I listen when someone is giving me directions." He smirked, and I flipped him off.

"Do you want to go downtown after school?" I asked, and he shrugged. A few minutes passed and I stopped again at another red light.

"Do you think Logan and the rest of them will recognize us?"

I bit my lip, not knowing how to respond. Honestly, it's been years since we've seen our old friends.

"Probably,"

"But?"

I sighed. "But, I don't know if I want to hang out with my old friends. Do you?"

"I don't know either." He admitted, staring out the window again.

As the light turned green, I took a left and saw that there were many cars now. After ten minutes of driving, I finally pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine.

We looked at one another one last time before we got out of the car, closing the doors behind us. I looked up at the building, which wasn't as big as my old high school back in Brooklyn, but this building looked new. Walking towards the entrance, we noticed a few students were watching us, and I immediately felt nervous. I pushed the door open, and we walked in, looking around the small office. A lady that seemed to be around our mothers age looked up at us and smiled.

"You must be the Vane siblings," She stood up as I handed her the papers mom had given me. Looking them over, she sat down and began typing on the computer. After a few minutes, she handed us a schedule and told us to wait here. She pressed a button on the intercom and asked for a guy named Gabriel Walker to come to the office.

A few minutes later, a tall muscular guy walked in and looked up at us. He had black curly hair, and his eyes were an intriguing moss green. He smirked at me, and I smirked back. Raising an amused eyebrow, I ignored him.

"Gabriel, this is Scarlett and her brother Derek. Would you be kind and show them to their classes?" The secretary, whose name is Ms. Adams, kindly asked. He nodded, and she handed us late slips. We left the office, and Gabriel led us down the hallway. After making no attempt to talk to us, I looked up at him.

"Hey," I said and he looked down at me, his moss green eyes piercing into mine.

"Hey." He had a rough voice, which made me slightly uncomfortable. As if sensing it, he gave me a sly smile and looked away.

"So, do you live in town?" I asked.

"No."

"Well, where do you live?" He stared at me, and I tensed.

"That's none of your buisness." He snapped and I looked away, biting my tongue before I could say anything rash.

He stopped in front of a classroom door, and told me this is where chemistry was. Looking down at my schedule, I saw that it was my first class.

"I'll take your brother and show him his." He flatly said, turning around and telling Derek to come with him.

"Wait!" I called after him and he turned around, looking even more annoyed.

"Um, aren't you going to show me the rest of my classes?"

He scoffed. "No."

"Why not?" I snapped, and he laughed. It was a harsh sound, making me even more uncomfortable.

"Because I don't want to." He simply said.

I stared at him, shocked. Derek burst out laughing, and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

Flipping them both off, I turned around and went inside the classroom. Everyone turned and looked at me, and ignoring them I went straight to the teachers desk. He smiled as I handed him my paper and the late slip.

"Welcome to Lincoln High School, Scarlett." He shook my hand, and I kindly smiled. He told me to take a seat anywhere I liked, and noticed there were only two seats available. Everyone watched me as I took the seat far back, next to a curly haired brunette. She turned to look at me, and I immediately recognized her.

"Darlene?"

Her eyes widened, as she realized who I was. "Scar!" She exclaimed, and everyone turned to look at her, earning a glare from the teacher.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered.

"I live here now," I grinned.

"For good?" She asked, a hopeful look on her face. I rolled my eyes, and nodded. Her eyes widened and she began to squeal, earning another glare from the teacher and amused looks from the students.

"Get off me!" I laughed, but she wouldn't stop hugging me. Yes, she had leapt out of her chair and hugged me.

"Scarlett, is Darlene bothering you?" The teacher asked. Some students began laughing too, and I shook my head.

Darlene pulled away, wiping her eyes. She had begun to tear up, and begged the teacher to excuse us for a couple of minutes. Dragging me out of the classroom, she hugged me again.

"What is with you and the hugging?" I joked, and she pulled away glaring at me.

"Why haven't you contacted me over the years?"

"I did, but we stopped, remember?"

She shook her head. "No, you only been talking with Logan and Hayden, not me."

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to remember. "So you're saying we haven't talked since the last time I came?" She nodded, a sullen look on her face.

Something isn't right. I remember writing her emails...

"But Dare, I remember sending emails to each other." Her eyes widened, and shock took over her face.

"That lying, son of a-" She was cut off by the teacher, demanding we get back inside. Nodding, we headed back to our seats, silent for the entire lesson.

When the bell rang, I turned to Darlene and demanded she tell me. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at me, her face contorted into anger.

"It was Sebastian, not me, who was replying to your emails."

"But he wasn't even in town the last time I came.." I trailed off, confused.

She rolled her eyes, standing up. "You do know that he only left for the summer, right? He still had to go to school."

I froze, staring at her in shock as I realized what I had done.

"Dare..I think I did something stupid." I choked out, abruptly standing up. Alarmed, she grabbed my hand. "What did you do?"

"Where is Sebastian now?"

"Shortly after you left, he ran away." She whispered, her face unreadable.

Her grip on my hand tightened. "Scar, what did you do?"

"I'm n-not exactly sure, I have to go." I tensed, and pulled away from her.

"Scar!" She called out after me, but I ignored her and ran down the hallway, pushing past the students. When I finally made it to the office, I was out of breath. Ms. Adams noticed me, and quickly rushed to my side asking if I was okay.

"Can I leave?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Do you want me to call down your brother?"

"Yeah," I said, thanking her and taking a seat on one of the chairs. After calling him down from the intercom, a few minutes later a frantic Derek ran into the office.

"What's wrong? Is it another panic attack?" He asked, kneeling down in front of me.

"No, but if I stay any longer then I'll have one." I whispered.

"Come on, let's go." He sighed, and we both stood up. Waving goodbye at Ms. Adams, we left the office and now stood in the parking lot.

As Derek walked ahead, I had froze in my spot.

Across from me, stood Sebastian. His menacing brown eyes connected with mine, and I felt the panic seep into me as I fell to my knees. Derek turned around and ran towards me when he saw me on the ground.

"Scar! What's wrong?" He shouted, and all the while I hadn't broke eye contact with Sebastian.

Darlene said her brother had run away, yet there he stood across from me with a grave look on his face.

And what scared me the most, was that he wasn't the same boy I used to know. That boy was long gone the day he left town. I could feel the hatred radiate off of him, and when I finally broke eye contact to respond to Derek and assure him that I was okay, I looked back at where he stood to see that he was gone.

—

Picture of Derek on the side ;)


	3. Chapter 3

The wind blew, causing my hair to go all over my face. Sighing, I slid off the elastic band from my wrist and pulled my hair into a bun.

Taking a sip from my sprite, I watched as the waves crashed onto shore, spraying me with drops of water. I had taken my favorite book and went to sit by the shore, but soon my grandpa had accompanied me. Derek must have told him about the incident, since he asked if I was okay a couple of times.

"Grandpa! I'm fine," I laughed, when he asked again.

"You know, I used to come here and sit by the shore whenever I had a panic attack. It calmed me down sometimes." He chuckled, handing me another piece of apple he had sliced.

"It calms me down, too." I smiled, biting into the apple.

Cutting the last apple slice in half, he gives me one and stands up.

"I better get going, hon. Don't stay out too late." He kissed the top of my head, and headed towards the house.

I laid back on my towel, and stared up at the darkening sky.

Certain brown eyes kept creeping into my thoughts, and the cold and emptiness in them made me shiver.

Could I be imagining it?

But he stood in front of me, and it seemed real enough.

I'm so confused, and sitting around doing nothing about it is just going to make things worse. I dug my cellphone out of my pocket, and cursed when I remembered that I didn't have Darlene's number. Standing up, I grabbed my towel and sprite and rushed towards the house.

Once I opened the screen door and went inside, I folded the towel and left it on the table in the hallway along with my sprite and I grabbed my car keys.

"I'm going out, don't wait up for me!" I yelled, quickly leaving the house and getting into the car. Turning on the engine, I pulled out of the small driveway and drove onto the road.

It was dark now, the sky a menacing black. It looked like it was going to rain, and suddenly I was having doubts about going to Darlene's house.

What if I don't remember where she lives?

What if Seb is there?

Panic started to seep in, and I tried to push it away and muster up all the courage I had to not turn the car around and drive back home.

Luckily, I still remembered the road to Darlene's house. At least, I thought so.

I drove to the wrong house, and tried to remember the name of her street.

Was it Campbell or Carnbell Ave?

Clenching my teeth, I drove away and saw a sign indicating that I was driving towards Campbell Ave. I passed a few houses, then saw the familiar small brown house. Parking against the curb, I got out and rushed up to their door. Ringing the bell twice, I waited until the porch light turned on and a middle aged woman opened the door.

"Mrs. Yeager?"

Her eyes widened, and she immediately pulled me in for a hug. Hugging her back, she pulled away and grinned.

"Look at you, all grown up." She sniffed, and gestured for me to come inside.

I felt strange being inside this house, many memories rushing back into my mind. I quickly shook them off and turned to Mrs. Yeager.

"How are you?" I politely asked.

"We're..coping." She sighed, and I gave her a sympathetic look.

Changing the subject, I shifted uncomfortably on the couch and forced on a smile. "Is Darlene here?"

She stood up. "Yes, she is upstairs. I'll go call her down."

"It's okay, I'll go instead."

"No, it's fine. It will only take a minute." She insisted, and rushed upstairs. Furrowing my eyebrows, I sat back down on the couch.

A few minutes later, I heard shouting and things being knocked down. I abrupty stood up, and held myself from going upstairs.

What the hell is going on?

The shouting increased, and I could hear what they were saying.

"Get her the fuck out of here!"

"You have no right to-"

"Fine, I'll do it myself!" The voice boomed, and I heard a door slam. A chill ran down my spine, and I didn't wait around any longer to see who was coming down the stairs.

I slammed the door behind me, and ran to my car. I fumbled with the keys, and I could see the front door open. When I finally jammed the key in, I turned on the engine and sped away, knocking down a few trashcans along the way.

When I was finally on the main road, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

_

"Back so soon?" Mom asked, not looking up from the book she was currently reading.

"Y-yeah."

She looked up at me, and frowned. "What's wrong, Scarlett?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." I kissed her cheek and then went upstairs to my bedroom, closing the door behind me.

Pulling out my diary from under the mattress, I grabbed a pen and laid down on the couch.

Dear Diary,

I'm so confused, and I just realized that I might not get the answers to my questions anytime soon.

I don't know what's going on, but I have this feeling that I shouldn't be demanding answers from Darlene. Especially when she obviously isn't telling me the truth, or at least half of it.

First, her older brother is back in town.

Sam never liked me, in fact he hated me ever since I accidentally kicked a soccer ball to his head. I have a feeling that it isn't the only reason he hates me, but I haven't done anything bad to him except for that.

I've only seen him a few times whenever he visited, so imagine my surprise when I saw him rush out his front door.

Second, I saw Seb.

Darlene said he ran away, but he stood in front of me in the parking lot.

Seb always hated me, and I never knew why.

He has caused me several panic attacks, which resulted in him being sent to live with his uncle in the city for the rest of summer. It was the last time I saw him, and before he left he vowed he would make my life a living hell.

He was the type of kid that parents warned their children to stay away from, and his behaviour had caused a strain between him and his parents. I remember his mother yelling all the time, and if things went too far his father stepped in and Seb would immediately obey him.

Seb didn't have any friends, mainly due to the fact that he bullied everyone. For his age, he was tall and intimidating, but he never scared me like the other kids. No matter how many horrible things he has done to me, I managed to ignore him. He wanted a reaction, but I wouldn't give it to him and it just made things worse.

No matter what I did, I could never escape him.

I wasn't the only one who didn't put up with his shit, and that was how Hayden and I became friends. She knew exactly how to put Seb in his place, and although it made her a target, she didn't mind that much.

I didn't see her today at school, and I wonder if she still lives here.

The thought of going to school tomorrow made me nervous, and the fact that I had to see Gabriel again pissed me off. Ms. Adams thought that it would be oh so nice if he showed me to my classes again, since last time it didn't go so well.

Scar

I closed the diary, and tossed the pen onto the desk. Standing up, I put my diary back in its spot and laid down on the bed, exhausted.

I closed my eyes, and just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a door slam open. Sitting up, I saw that the balcony doors had slammed open against the wall, and gusts of wind scattered everywhere the papers that were on the desk.

Weren't the doors closed?

Sighing, I stood up and angrily picked up the papers and stuffed them inside the desk drawer. Closing the doors shut and locking them afterwards, I began to pull the curtains when I noticed a faint light coming from the cave. Confused, I frowned and stepped away from the doors.

I walked downstairs to the living room, but Derek wasn't there.

"Where is Derek?" I asked my dad, who was eating chips. When he saw me looking at them, he held the bag closer to him. Rolling my eyes, I snatched the bag away and took a handful.

"He's out with some friends- hey!" He grabbed the bag, and looked inside. He pouted when he saw that there weren't many left, and I chuckled.

Wait, friends?

Eating the last of the chips, I grabbed my jean jacket and put on my black vans. I opened the closet door, and searched for a flashlight. When I found one, I closed the door and noticed my dad looking at me.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Um, out?"

He raised his eyebrow. "With a flashlight?"

"Yeah?"

He shrugged, and went back to eating his chips. "Okay, don't take too long."

Amused, I shook my head and stepped outside. It was chilly, and the waves crashed harshly against the shore. Turning on the flashlight, I began my way towards the cave.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't know what to expect if Derek isn't there.

But who else would it be?

Shaking off the dark thoughts, I continued to walk towards the cave. I felt the sand in my shoes, and I sighed as I sat down and took them off.

"Stupid sand," I mumbled, having get rid of the sand in my shoes and putting them back on. Grabbing the flashlight, I stood up and begin walking.

After a couple of minutes, I could see the dim light coming from the cave, and as I went closer the hushed voices I had heard immediately stopped. I quickly hid behind the small boulders that lined up the cave, and held my breath.

"Go see if anyone is out there."

"Who the hell would be at the cave at this hour?"

"Just go!"

I tensed, trying to fit myself into the small space as possible. I stayed quiet, listening for any sounds.

After awhile, I could hear the hushed voices again. Leaning over to see if anyone is out there, I crouched towards the entrance and listened.

"Did you get the money?" I recognized the girls voice from earlier, and I assumed it was just her and a guy.

I managed to gather up a couple thousand, but-"

"A couple? Is a couple thousand dollars going to save her?"

"If you would just listen, then-"

"I gave you one job, Tom. One fucking job!"

"Screw you." The guy hissed, and I heard movement coming towards the entrance. I rushed back to my previous spot, and waited until the guy was out of sight. The girl soon followed after, and the sound of an engine turning on was heard. When I was sure that they were gone, I sucked in a deep breath.

That was strange.

Standing up, I brushed the sand off my jeans and made my way towards the house.

But, if Derek isn't here, then where the hell is he?

Thinking of places where he would be, I noticed I was already close to the house. Pulling my cellphone out of my pocket, I dialed Derek's number and waited for him to answer.

When he didn't answer, I dialed again a couple more times until I gave up.

Digging the keys out of my jacket, I unlocked the door and stepped in. The lights were off, and I checked the time and saw that it was almost midnight. Silently closing the door, I took off my shoes and jacket and placed them inside the closet.

Walking upstairs to my bedroom, I opened the door and switched on the lights.

Derek's bed was empty.

I ran to my parents bedroom and went to dad's side of the bed, shaking his shoulder so that he would wake up.

"What is it, Scarlett?" He slurred, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

"Derek's missing."

He was now wide awake, and quickly left the bed with me following behind.

"Have you called him?" We were now downstairs, and he held the house phone to his ear. I nodded, and after waiting a few seconds he slammed the phone back on it's charger and rubbed his forehead.

"Go wake up your mother, and I'll go start up the car." Grabbing his jacket, he rushed outside, slamming the door behind him.

I rushed back upstairs, and saw that mom was already awake.

"What happend?"

After I explained everything, she was silent. But I knew that in her mind, different senarios were going on and I could only imagine how she felt.

I felt my cellphone vibrate in my hand, and saw that dad had sent me a message.

We both hurried downstairs, and I opened the closet.

"Be careful, both of you." She demanded, rubbing her temples.

Nodding, I put on my sneakers and jacket, grabbing the flashlight just in case and left the house. Opening the car door, I sat in the front seat and we drove off.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"When we drove back from school." I replied, switching on and off the flashlight. I was on edge, and the fact that a panic attack could happen anytime made me question whether or not I should have gotten in the car the first place.

"Are you okay?" Dad asked, noticing my discomfort. I didn't respond, focusing on looking for any sight of Derek from the open window.

This wasn't the first time he went missing.

"I hate it here." He whined, pushing the plate away from him.

"Stop being difficult and eat your food." Mom ordered, but he just shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.

"I want to go home!"

"Derek," Dad warned, but he stood up and backed away from the table.

"Such a crybaby," I muttered under my breath.

"They scare me!" He wailed, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Now, now. Come with grandma and tell her what's wrong." She stood up and gently took his hand, leading him upstairs.

"What has gotten into that boy?" Mom sighed, standing up and collecting the plates from the table.

"Are you sure those friends of yours aren't bothering him?"

"No." I replied quickly, avoiding eye contact with grandpa.

"Are you sure?" He pressed.

"Yes."

I furrowed my eyebrows at the memory, a strange feeling settling over me.

"Hand me the flashlight," Dad ordered, and I gave it to him. Cutting the engine, he left the car and began searching the small park that we stopped in front of.

"You think he's here?" I shouted, leaning over the window.

"Probably." He shouted back, and continued to search.

"Why do I get this feeling that you aren't telling us the truth?"

"But I am telling the truth." I stood up, and began collecting the leftover food.

"Scarlett, if those kids are bothering him.." Dad warned.

As I handed the plates to mom, she gave me a pointed look.

I felt tears gathering in my eyes, anger coursing through my veins.

"All everyone ever cares about is Derek!" I yelled, brushing past mom and running upstairs to my bedroom. Slamming the door behind me, I leaned back against it and clamped a hand over my mouth.

I can't believe I said that.

Before the tears could fall down my cheeks, I heard shouting. Pressing my ear against the door, I listened.

"I thought you were with him, mama!"

"Ashley, calm down."

"My child is missing, and you expect me to calm down?"

My eyes widened, and I backed away from the door.

He wouldn't.

Derek wouldn't do that.

But from the shouting and crying I heard, he already has.

Opening the balcony doors, I stepped onto the small balcony and peered down. It was't very high, and below there was sand.

Grabbing onto the railing, I climbed over it until I stood on the ledge. Taking a deep breath, I let go of the railing and jumped.

Landing on my feet, I straightened up and began to run.

There was only one place he could have gone.

Realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and now I knew what that strange feeling I felt before was; fear.


	5. Chapter 5

She kept to herself, often wary of the people around her. But a certain boy wasn't convinced of her innocence.

He shoved her against the hard pavement, a cry escaping her lips.

"Didn't I tell you to not come back here?" He snapped.

"Leave me alone!"

He let out a cold and heartless laugh, and crouched beside her small trembling body.

"You didn't answer my question."

She was emotionally tired of this. She had put up with him, but she couldn't let him do this to her anymore.

"Just leave me alone." Her voice cracked, and he just shook his head.

"You're weak, and that's all you'll ever be." He spat, and stood up. Walking towards his fathers pickup truck, he got in and drove off.

Slowly standing up, she walked up the steps of the house and knocked on the door.

A young woman opened the door, and gasped when she saw the girls leg dripping with blood.

"What happened?" She demanded, putting an arm gently around her shoulders and leading her inside.

After cleaning and bandaging her leg, she brought her a glass of water and sat down beside her.

"Who did this to you?"

Taking a deep breath, the girl told her everything.

When the girl finished, the woman stood up and covered her mouth with her trembling hands.

She couldn't believe that her son could do such things, to this innocent girl.

At that moment, her daughter came rushing dowstairs to the small living room, grinning when she saw her friend.

"Did you know?" Her mother suddenly asked, and her daughter looked up at her confused.

The mother shook her head, not believing that her daughter had anything to do with this, and sat back down next to the girl.

Her daughter stood there with furrowed eyebrows, trying to figure out what was happening. She noticed that her friend was bandaged again, this time being her leg.

She knew her older brother never liked her friend, but she always pushed away the thought that her brother did more than just bully her.

But lately, she has been questioning her brothers sanity.

She had to do something, to get her brother away from her friend.

Because the more she thought of how quiet and nervous her friend has become lately, she knew that her brother had done something to her.

And if her friend won't admit it, then she will.

"Mom?" Her mother turned around to face her.

"I know what he did to her."

"Other than this?" She gestured towards the girls bandaged leg.

"Yes." Her daughter whispered, and the mother had to lean in to hear her.

"He raped Scarlett."

I opened my eyes, and sat up. Taking the covers off of me, I stood up and walked towards my desk where I had put my glass of water. Halfway through the glass, I eyed the bottle of pills I had stuffed in between my books.

I couldn't sleep, and memories kept filling my head. It wasn't the first time, and the pills came in handy whenever it happened.

Setting down the glass on the desk, I grabbed the pills and opened the lid. Taking two, I swallowed them and drank the remaining water.

Walking towards my bed, I glanced towards my brothers bed and a wave of sadness overcame me.

Looking away, I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes.

_

"Wake up, Scar."

I groaned, and rubbed my eyes. Opening them, I saw my mom sitting at the edge of the bed, but her eyes were somewhere else. Sitting up, I saw her looking at Derek's side of the room.

My eyes welled up, but I quickly blinked away the tears before mom could see me.

It's been two days since Derek went missing, and dad along with grandpa had been at the police station since last night. I'm not sure if they came back, but knowing them, they haven't.

I tried to stay strong for mom and grandma, but sometimes when I was alone I couldn't handle it anymore.

Without saying anything, I left my mom alone with her thoughts and went to the bathroom. Brushing my teeth, I looked up to see my reflection in the mirror. My blonde hair was oily, and was slightly curly from having my hair up in a bun. My skin was paler than usual, and I had dark circles under my eyes.

Sighing, I rinsed my mouth and began to take off my clothing. Stepping into the shower, I turned the faucet and shivered as the cold water poured down on me. I leaned against the cold wall, and let my thoughts consume me.

I knew I had to talk to Darlene, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so.

I know that makes me seem weak, but I can't step into that house again. I'll talk to her today at school, since I skipped yesterday and I knew that sitting at home and moping around won't help anyone, especially me.

Quickly washing my hair and body, I stepped out of the shower and put on my robe. Taking my phone from the counter, I checked the time and saw that I had twenty minutes until first period starts.

Rushing out of the bathroom, I headed towards my bedroom and saw that mom had left. Opening my closet, I pulled out my black sweatpants, a random t-shirt and a red college hoodie which belonged to my cousin back in Brooklyn. Putting them on, I pulled my wet hair into a ponytail and put on my white converse. Grabbing my bag from the desk chair, I hurried downstairs to the kitchen.

"Morning, grandma." I kissed her on the cheek, and she smiled up at me. She was sitting at the table, cutting fruits and putting them into a bowl. Taking a strawberry, I popped it into my mouth and waved goodbye at her.

Mom was nowhere in sight, so I took my car keys and left. It was drizzling, and I had to run to the car. Getting in, I turned on the engine and drove onto the main road.

It was a twenty minute drive to LHS, and I'm seriously wondering how I'm going to get there on time.

Reaching 70 on the speedometer on the almost empty highway, I turned on the radio and hummed along to some random song.

After fifteen minutes, I pulled up into the full school parking lot. Sighing, I managed to find a spot at the end of the lot.

I ran to the office, and burst in through the doors. Ms. Adams looked up, worry evident in her eyes.

"Scarlett, are you okay?" She asked, standing up and walking towards me.

"Yeah, I'm just late." I replied.

"Yesterday you and your brother didn't come to school, and nobody called. Did something happen?"

"He's missing." I looked away, staring at nothing in particular.

A few minutes passed, until she finally spoke. "I'm so sorry."

I bit my lip to keep myself from crying, and looked up at her. "I should head to class."

She nodded, and headed towards the desk. Pressing a button on the intercom like last time, she called Gabriel to the office. I sighed, and folded my arms across my chest.

I wanted to tell her that it wasn't necesary for him to show me to my classes, but it was too late when he entered the office with a annoyed look on his face once he saw me.

"Let me guess, you want me to show her to her class?"

"Yes. And this time, you show her all of the classes." Ms. Adams warned, and he rolled his eyes.

He began to walk towards the hallway, and I had to run after him to catch up. "Why can't you walk like a normal person?" I snapped.

He abruptly stopped, and I fell onto his back. Pushing myself off of him, I backed away. "What the hell is wrong with you?" I hissed, his stare making me uncomfortable.

"Just shut up and follow me." He snapped, and began to walk towards the end of the empty hallway. Gritting my teeth, I silently followed him. He stopped outside room 215, and grabbed the schedule from my hands. I glared at him, but he ignored me as he read the schedule.

"This is where you have Spanish. Sadly, the teacher is a dick." He informed me, and I nodded, rolling my eyes. He walked towards the door to the stairs, and pushed it open. We both walked upstairs, and stopped outside room 218.

"English." He said, and began walking down the hallway. Stopping by room 225, he told me this was my first period. But it was ending in ten minutes, so he was going to show me my classes now instead of later.

"So, are you going to tell where you live?" I asked, looking up at him with a neutral expression.

"Why the fuck do you want to know?"

"Just making small talk, that's all." I snapped, offended by his attitude.

"I hate small talk." He looked down at me with a wry smile, and I looked away.

After showing my almost all of my classes, we were heading to the third and last floor when he stopped halfway on the stairs.

"Where's your brother?" He asked, leaning against the railing.

I gave him a bleak look. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I noticed he isn't here." He pointed out.

"He's missing, okay? Let's just get this over with so you can go to wherever the hell you were before." I pushed past him, and made my way to the door. Pushing it open, I walked towards some random classrooms and waited for Gabriel to come.

After a few minutes, I saw him emerge. His expression was inscrutable, and once he approached me he handed over my schedule.

"The gym." He pointed towards the double doors, and I nodded.

"Thanks for, um, showing me around." I awkwardly smiled up at him, but he looked away, seeming lost in his thoughts.

"Meet me after school in the parking lot." He demanded, looking down at me. I furrowed my eyebrows at his request, but before I could respond, he turned around and left.


	6. Chapter 6

The bell rang, distracting me from my thoughts. The hallway filled with students, and I glanced down at my schedule. English starts in five minutes, and I had to rush to the second floor to get there.

Once I was outside of the classroom, I suddenly remembered that I had no locker, or textbooks.

"Fucking wonderful." I muttered under my breath.

"Yeah, I don't like English either." I turned around, and smiled at the girl. She had long brown hair, slightly tan skin and hazel eyes which I immediately envied.

"Me neither, but I wasn't talking about English." I chuckled, and she nodded her head in realization.

"Are you the new girl?" She asked.

"Yeah."

She grinned, and outstretched her hand towards me. "I'm Lane."

Shaking her hand, I grinned too. "Scar."

"Where are you from?" She asked.

"Brooklyn, New York."

She pouted. "I've always wanted to go to New York."

I laughed, shaking my head.

The bell rang, and the teacher opened the door to the classroom. We walked in, and I chose a desk at the end of row on the right. Lane sat on the other side of the room, and waved at me. Waving back, I reached into my bag and got out a notebook and a pen.

From the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit in the desk next to me.

I opened my notebook, and began doodling. The teacher was going on about some play that I had already done back in Brooklyn, so hopefully this class is behind.

"Can I borrow a pencil?" I looked up from my notebook, and reached into my bag. I couldn't find a pencil, and instead took my other pen.

"Sorry, I only have a-" I looked up at the guy next to me, and felt the blood drain from my face.

"Long time no see, Scar." He whispered, leaning towards me.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I go to school here, duh." He rolled his eyes, and took the pen from my hand, leaning back into his seat.

Normally, I would have ignored him, but him being here made me suspicious.

"I meant, what are you doing here in Port Aransas?"

He sighed. "I live here, Scar."

What the hell?

"No, you don't. You said you lived in Houston."

He looked at me strangely. "I never said that."

"Logan, I remember you saying that." I hissed.

"Like what, six years ago? Get a grip, Scar."

"Logan, if you can't stop talking then change seats." The teacher warned.

"Great, you got me in trouble." He sarcastically whispered.

"Screw you." I whispered back.

_

The bell rang, and I immediately stood up from my seat. Stuffing my notebook and textbook that the teacher had given me in my bag, I walked quickly as possible towards the door.

Once I was out, I headed downstairs to the office to ask for my locker.

I looked behind me to check if Logan was following, but I let out a sigh of relief when I realized he wasn't.

Although I did feel bad for leaving Lane behind.

I knocked on the office door, and heard Ms. Adams yelling 'come in'.

Opening the door, I stepped inside. Ms. Adams was at her desk, as usual, and was looking through papers.

"Hey, Scarlett. Do you need anything?" She asked, not looking up from the papers.

"Um, yeah. A locker."

She immediately looked up. "I am so sorry, I must have forgotten." She started looking through some other papers and scribbled something on a small notepad, ripping it out afterwards. She held her hand out to me, holding the piece of paper. Taking it, I thanked her and rushed out into the hallway and towards the lockers.

After a few minutes, I found my locker. Putting in the combination, I opened it and stuffed my English textbook and a few other things in it.

I checked my phone, and sighed in relief that I still had two minutes until the bell rang.

I closed my locker and leaned against it, wiping the sweat off my forehead. Given the fact that it was already October and it was chilly, I still managed to sweat through my sweater and leave armpit stains. Groaning, I pulled off the sweater and put it in my bag.

"Why don't you take off your shirt too? Now that would be a sight."

Sighing, I covered my face with my hands. "Get away from me, Logan."

"Where's the fun in that?" He whined, leaning against the lockers across from me.

"I still hate you." I informed him.

He scratched his neck, and looked down. "Yeah, I know."

"Did you do it again?" I asked him what I have been longing to ask ever since I saw him. He was the reason Derek went missing the first time, and I'm pretty sure he would do it again.

He looked up at me in disbelief. "No, of course not!"

I looked at him right in the eye, and took a step closer. "You're telling me you have nothing to do with Derek missing again?"

"He's missing again?" He turned pale, fear evident in his eyes.

My confidence went down a notch at his reaction, and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Scar, I know you don't trust me because of what I did, but I am honestly telling you that I have nothing to do with it."

"Please tell me you're saying the truth." I begged.

When I saw Logan, there was a slight chance that he was behind this. But now, seeing that he was just as confused as I am, that hope I held onto was instantly shattered.

I just want my brother back.

_

I stayed at the nurses office the entire day, with Logan by my side.

Shortly after my conversation with Logan, at some point when we were walking to our next class, a panic attack suddenly came over me.

I finished the water bottle the nurse gave me, and stood up from the cot.

The bell indicating that school was over rang a few minutes ago, and Logan was waiting for me outside the office. Pulling out my sweater from my bag, I put it on and left the small office, thanking the nurse on my way out.

"You feel better?" He asked, as we walked towards the exit.

I nodded, and thanked him again for staying with me.

"I'd do anything for you, Scar." He smiled sadly.

And I knew he would. Despite what happened, he always was by my side, before and after. I guess I never realized it because of what he did, the anger clouding my judgement.

The exit led us to the parking lot, and I suddenly remembered what Gabriel told me.

"Um, I can go by myself to the car." I said.

He snorted. "Who are you meeting up with?"

My eyes widened. "H-how did you know?"

"I didn't, but now I know." He smirked. "Now, where is he?"

"I don't know, wait here so I can look for him." He gave me a 'really?' look, and followed me.

I saw Gabriel standing by a black motorcycle, and stopped in my tracks.

"I can handle it from here." I informed Logan.

He looked towards where Gabriel was, squinting a little. His face distorted in disgust, and looked back at me.

"Gabriel Walker? Really?"

I rolled my eyes. "Walk away, Logan."

"Wait, you aren't hooking up with him or something, right?" He demanded, all traces of humor gone.

I grimaced. "No way."

He relaxed a little, but his forehead was still creased.

"Bye, Logan." I waved at him goodbye, and began walking towards Gabriel

"Took you long enough." Gabriel snapped once I approached him, handing me his helmet.

"Um?" I awkwardly handed back his helmet. He sighed, and glared at me. "Put it on, Scarlett."

I looked at the heavy black helmet, and looked back at Gabriel.

"Do you need help to put on a damn helmet?"

"You're assuming I'm going to put on this helmet and get on the motorcycle?" I snapped. I had no problem getting on a motorcycle, I just didn't want to go on one with him.

"Unless you want me to do it, then yes, I'm assuming you are." He gave me a coy smile, and got on the motorcycle. Cursing under my breath, I put on the helmet and followed suit.

"Where's your helmet?" I asked.

He sighed. "Just shut up."

I gritted my teeth, and grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Unless you want to fall off, I suggest you put your arms around me. I don't go slow." He said, and I could tell he was smirking.

"Don't worry, I like it fast." I snapped. He chuckled, and began to drive out of the parking lot. Once we were on the highway, he twisted his grip on the right handle and I immediately wrapped my arms around him.

Honestly, I didn't know he would go this fast.

After a few minutes, he got off the highway and took a turn towards town. He stopped outside a diner, and cut the engine. Taking the helmet off my head, I got off and handed it to him.

"Where are we?" I asked, looking up at the sign.

"You'll see." He muttered, and headed towards the entrance.

I followed him, wondering why on earth he brought me to The Scorpion.

—

Pic of Logan on the side ;) Vote, comment, and let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

Once we entered the diner, I looked around.

It had a classy yet rock type of style; posters of rock bands covering the walls and classic red booths lining against it.

There were two classic doors on either side of the room which obviously leads to the kitchen, covered with stickers and more posters. In the middle, was a bar with neon lights with classic red bar stools.

I spotted a jukebox near the entrance, and a few guitars on their stands.

I had to admit, this place was impressive.

I glanced at Gabriel, who stood next to me with a bored look on his face. Why did he bring me here?

Before I could ask him, a middle aged man came up and greeted us.

"You must be here for the job, right?" The man, whose name was Eli, asked me.

"Excuse me?"

Gabriel angrily sighed. "Will you give us a minute?"

Eli nodded, and walked towards the bar, wiping glasses with a towel and setting them on the shelves.

"What is going on?" I snapped.

"Take the job." He demanded.

I scoffed. "Are you crazy? Why would I take a job at some random diner?"

"Because, I think I know how to help you find your brother."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed, and leaned in towards my neck, his lips dangerously close to my ear. "If I help you, then you help me. I gather information concerning your brother, and you gather information concerning me."

"And if I don't?"

"Look, I'll be risking my life to help you out. The least you can do is return the favour." He hissed, and a chill ran up my spine.

"I'll do it." I whispered, and he leaned back, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"You guys done?" Eli called out.

"She'll take the job." Gabriel called back, and a wide grin appeared on Eli's face.

"Great! You start tomorrow, be here at five pm sharp." He informed me, and disappeared into one of the doors leading to the kitchen.

Gabriel shot me a smirk before he pushed open the door and left the diner. I followed after him, curious for answers yet knowing he won't give any.

_

We were back at the school parking lot, and I was handing back his helmet.

"Thanks for the ride."

He rollled his eyes and grabbed the helmet, putting it on his head and driving out of the parking lot.

Sighing, I walked towards my car. The parking lot was almost empty, and the sky was darkening like it usually does before it rains.

The thought that I trusted a guy I hardly knew, made me cringe. But I followed my instinct, and even though he was rude and cocky, I decided I would go with it.

He needs my help, and I need his. But I need to see proof that he is actually helping me, so I decided I would give it a week. I'm still not sure how me being a waitress at a diner will help him, but I didn't ponder on it for too long.

Once I approached my car, I got in and started the engine.

There was only one thing on my mind now, and it was bothering me to no end. I knew that if I don't speak to Darlene, the constant questions in my head would never go away. I needed answers, and I think I've waited enough already.

I was already on the highway, and I had to turn off the radio because it was unnerving.

After twenty minutes, I stopped outside Darlene's house. Without overthinking it, I got out of the car and rushed to their door, knocking three times.

Mr. Yeager opened the door this time, looking down at me with confusion.

"Hi, um, I'm Scarlett Vane. I'm not sure you remember me bu-"

"Of course I remember you." He grinned, recognizing me now. "We were just having dinner, come and join us." He opened the door wider, indicating for me to come in.

Once I was inside, the first thing I saw was the dining room table, and the people who sat there.

At this moment, I wished I could disappear.

"Scar!" Darlene chirped, standing up and running towards me. Giving me a hug, she leaned back and looked at me.

"Where the hell did you disappear to?" She asked, frowning. Oh, if only I had disappeared.

"I had..things to do."

She shrugged, and led me to the table, pulling out the chair next to her. I sat down, and finally looked up.

"How are you, Scarlett?" Mrs. Yeager asked, pouring water in my glass.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

She smiled. "Same as always."

I nodded, and looked down at my plate. I could feel him staring at me, and honestly, I didn't think it would be Sam making me uncomfortable.

"So, Scarlett, what brings you here in town?" Sam sneered, and I saw Darlene give him a warning look.

"I m-moved here." I stuttered.

"Oh, is that so?" He sarcastically said.

"Leave her alone."

I immediately looked up, my eyes connecting with Seb's.

Never in my life, did I expect him to say that.

It seemed like I wasn't the only one shocked, except for the blonde girl sitting next to Seb who was smiling up at him.

What the hell is going on?

"Hayden, did you recognize Scarlett?" Darlene said, trying hard to cover up her shock.

The blonde girl looked at me, and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. It was hard to believe that was Hayden, the one I knew. It just couldn't be her.

Before I could say anything, Mr. Yeager approached the table and only then did I realize he wasn't sitting with us. He had brought two plates filled with various meat, and set them on the table. Pulling out the chair and sitting down, he folded his hands and began to say grace.

Once he was done, we began to eat. I had politely refused all the dishes Mrs. Yeager handed to me, only taking a little bit of salad.

"Still a stubborn one, huh?" She chuckled, setting a bowl with mashed potatoes back on the table.

Darlene rolled her eyes, and nudged my shoulder. I gave her a questioning look, but she just wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up from the chair.

"Can we be excused?" She asked her dad, and he nodded in response.

She motioned for me and Hayden to come with her, and we followed her to the back porch.

Darlene sat down on one of the chairs, and Hayden took the one next to her. I remained standing, leaning against the wooden railing.

"What the hell just happened?" I snapped, and Darlene sighed, looking away.

Not waiting for her to respond, I continued. "Because lately, I've been asking a lot of 'whats' and 'whys'." She glanced up at me now, looking annoyed.

"I don't know whether you're lying to me, or just playing around, but I honestly want no part in your sick little games. We both know it isn't the first time, anyway."

She scoffed. "I see you still haven't moved on from the past."

I shot her a glare. "I don't plan to, either."

Hayden, who seemed to be fed up with our bickering, stood up. "Now I recognize you, Scar. Who could forget a stubborn bitch like you? And Darlene, you aren't any better. Hell, even I'm a bitch, but at least I don't show it."

We gaped at her, although we didn't say anything to deny it.

"I don't know what happened between you two, but I can't help either of you if you don't tell me what's going on." She pointed out.

It was Hayden. It really was her. But somehow, I refused to accept that her sitting next to Seb, and his arm around her and the looks they gave each other meant something.

Because the Hayden I knew, would never do that.

"I just need to clear something up first." I said, and Hayden shrugged, sitting back down in her seat. "

"Are you dating Seb?" Darlene looked at me in disbelief. "Are you that daft?" She snickered, sitting down on the porch steps and shaking her head.

"I didn't ask for your comment." I snapped at her, and she just smiled, raising her hands in defeat.

"Yes, Scar. I'm dating Seb." Hayden confirmed, an amused look on her face.

I remained quiet, trying to absorb what she just said, all the while not breaking eye contact.

After a few minutes, I looked away.

"Look, I don't even understand what is happening, but all I know is that Darlene told me he ran away. But seeing him at the table, with you of all people, just doesn't make any sense." I calmly said, and Hayden groaned.

"Please don't tell me you're in denial."

The fact that she knew me so well, annoyed me.

"Whatever. Can someone just explain to me what is going on?"

"Well, first of all, Darlene was lying to you. Seb never ran away. Although, I don't know why she would say that, but I have stopped trying to question her motives." Hayden stated, and Darlene shot her a glare.

"Second of all, Seb and I have been together for one year. We just returned yesterday from Detroit, after visiting my grandparents there." She smiled warmly, a blush crawling up to her cheeks.

Wait, yesterday? But if I saw Seb a few days ago..

I shook my head. The fact that Seb is a loyal and loving boyfriend is beyond me, and that Hayden fell for it makes me question alot of things.

How can she date someone who bullied her? She got more bullied than me, since she lived here. I only came to town for the summer, so imagine what she went through.

I just don't understand her.

She never showed any signs of affection towards him when we were younger, and it was obvious that she despised him. What could have changed, to make her see past that?

—

A/N: Early update, cause you guys are PER-FECT ;)

Don't forget to vote, comment, and let me know what you think!

~Picture of Darlene on the side~


	8. Chapter 8

Shortly after, I had left Darlene's house.

As I took off my shoes and jacket, leaving the car keys on their spot, I walked towards the living room and hugged my dad.

He leaned back to look at me. "What's wrong?"

"Everything."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his face unreadable."Don't think about it too much."

I saw grandma emerge from the kitchen, holding a bowl of salad in her hands. "Dinners ready, now come before it gets cold." She ordered, and we followed her to the dining table.

Grandpa sat down next to dad, and looked up at me with a warm smile. "I haven't seen you in a while, are you hiding from us?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Of course not.

"Good, because I need help around here. Your grandma thinks I'm too old to be going out by myself, and I didn't have the heart to give her a piece of my mind." He scowled.

I rolled my eyes, and began piling food onto my plate.

"Can you pass me the corn, please?" I asked my mom, who just sat down at the table. She looked up at me in irritation, and hastily handed me the bowl of corn.

Dad sighed, setting down his glass of water. "What's wrong, Ashley?"

"Nothing. Everything is just fucking wonderful."

"Language!" Grandma snapped.

Mom scoffed, taking a sip from her wine. "You're one to speak, mother.

Grandpa slammed his fist down on the table, his face fuming with anger. Grandma gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand.

There was a moment of silence, and I wasn't sure which made me more uncomfortable, the way grandpa glared at mom, or that she was pouring her third glass of wine.

Seeing that no one made a move to take the bottle of wine away from her, I stood up and grabbed it from her hands.

"Give me back the damn bottle." She looked up at me, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. She never looked at me that way, with such anger. She was always calm, ready for any situation. As hard as I tried to convince myself that she was drunk and that Derek missing took a toll on her, I still felt the sadness creep in.

Handing dad the bottle, I ran upstairs to my bedroom. Slamming the door behind me, I fell to my knees and let out a gut wrenching sob.

Nothing made sense anymore.

I felt like I wasn't mentally there, kneeling down on the wooden floor with my hands covering my face.

I was somewhere else, deep into the corners of my mind which were opening once again the wounds that had slowly been closing.

_

I called Derek again, hoping that somehow he might pick up.

But it kept on ringing, and the tears kept coming.

Slamming the cellphone down onto my desk, I leaned back into the chair and took a deep breath.

It was morning, and I had managed to sleep yesterday without the pills. The crying tired me out, and helped me escape reality for a couple of hours.

But here I was, crying again.

I guess some things never change, I thought sadly to myself.

Sighing, I stood up from the chair and pulled my hair up into a bun. Opening the closet, I pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and another college hoodie, along with a long sleeved Nirvana shirt.

It was chilly today, and I decided against wearing the hoodie. Stuffing it in my bag, I rushed downstairs to the kitchen. Nobody was there, and there was no usual note on the fridge. Shrugging, I opened a cabinet and pulled out a poptart from the box.

I sat down at the table, taking a bite from the poptart. I pushed out all thoughts from my head, only focusing on eating. I hadn't had a proper meal in days, and I had to admit that I was hungry. Once I was finished, I stood up and took another poptart, putting it in my bag.

Taking my keys from their usual spot, I headed outside and towards my car. It looked like it needed to be cleaned, and I decided I would go tomorrow to the car wash.

Sitting inside, I smiled as I noticed the necklace that hung from the interior rear view mirror.

"That one." I pointed at the rusty old car, although that didn't bother me. Some new parts, and it will be good as new.

"Your daughter has a good taste in cars." The young car salesman, Eric, complimented.

"Yeah, I know." My dad grumbled, his arms folded across his chest.

"I'll give it to you for $3500."

"Deal." My father shook his hand, and we walked towards the car.

I looked inside, and surprisingly the interior was in good condition. Dad was already sitting in the front seat, a look of approval on his face.

After a few minutes of looking around, dad got out of the car and headed to the small office with Eric.

I quickly sat in the front seat, admiring the slightly worn out black leather seats and basically everything about this car.

Poking around, I opened the glove compartment and furrowed my eyebrows as I took out a black silk rope necklace that was strewn there. Looking it over, I noticed a small black cross hanging from it.

It was strange, but I liked it. I hung it on the interior rear view mirror, and leaned back into the seat and smiled as it swayed back and forth.

"What have you got there?" I jumped in my seat, and looked up at Eric leaning against the car door.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, his soft blue eyes settling on mine. I blushed, and quickly looked away.

"J-just some necklace that I found." I stuttered.

"Looks cool."

I nodded, my gaze still averted on the steering wheel.

"I'll see you around, Scarlett." I looked up, and saw him walking away, a grin plastered on his face. Waving back, I heard dad get in the seat next to me and handed me the keys.

"You're driving."

I chuckled at the memory, wondering where Eric might be now.

Turning on the engine, I pulled out of the driveway.

It was almost 8 o'clock and the sky had already darkened. For the past few days it would only drizzle, but this time as the lightining flashed through the sky, I could tell there will be a storm.

I still had half an hour before first period starts, so I took a turn into town and pulled into grandpas auto repair shop.

"Hey, dad!" I called out, and he turned around to look at me.

"Don't you have school?" He called back.

"Can you just wash the car real quick?" I drove towards garage, and waited for him.

"Does this look like a damn car wash to you?" He joked, dragging the thick hose behind him. Closing the windows, I leaned back in the seat and watched my dad clean the car.

When he was done, I pulled out of the garage and got out, grabbing a towel from the rack.

When I was halfway done with wiping the car dry, my dad came and stood next to me.

"You know you don't have to dry it, right?"

"Why not?" I stopped, and looked up at him.

He grinned. "Because, it's going to rain anyways." I looked up at the sky, and groaned. "Why the heck didn't you tell me?"

"I figured you knew, but then I remembered you're a blonde." He kissed my forehead, and took the towel from my hand.

"Ha ha, real funny." I muttered, walking to the other side of the car and opening the door.

"Where's grandpa?" I asked, looking around the empty place.

"At the police station."

I slowly got in the car, and let out a shaky breath. "Any leads?"

"I'll let you know if there is." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

I nodded, and turned on the engine. "Do you need any help around here?"

"Nah, I can handle it." He closed the car door, and backed away. "See you later."

"Bye, dad." I smiled, pulling out of the lot and making a turn towards the highway.

Instead of driving to school, I drove to the park. I don't think I could handle sitting in class and listening to teachers going on about shit.

I sat down on one of the swings, and rested my head against the metal chain.

Derek used to sit on this very swing, constantly begging me to swing him. One time, I pushed too hard that he actually fell off. He wouldn't speak to me after that, but whatever.

Even though I never got along with my brother, I needed him more than anything. And not having him piss me off or annoy me left an empty feeling in my heart.

I had to do something, anything.

The odd trust that I had in Gabriel was almost nonexistent, and I knew that it was up to me to find my brother.

But, I need help.

In order to find my brother, I needed someone just as twisted as the person behind Derek's disappearance.

Someone who could understand their motives.

But I needed them to trust me.

And before I knew it, I was dialing Darlene's phone number.

"Can you put your brother on the phone?" I demanded.

"Which one?"

"Sam."

—

Another early update??? Why yes, my lovely readers ;)

Since school is starting and I have to get my shit together, updates will be longer. As much as I would love to be writing, I also have extra classes so yeah that won't be happening for a while. *insert sad face*

Vote, comment, and all that fun stuff ♥


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